Filing drawer



Dec. 11, 1934. F. e. STRAUBEL FILING DRAWER 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed May 9, 1933 1934. F. G. STRAUBEL 1,983,574

FILING DRAWER 2 Sheets-Shes 2 Filed May 9, 1933 grwc/wf 1 11. GSimubel,

m wk Patented Dec. 11, 1934 PATENT OFFICE v FILING DRAWER Frederick L. G. Straubel, Green Bay, Wis., as-

Signor of one-eighth to 0. C. Straubel, Green Bay, Wis., and two-eighths to C. W. Straubcl,

Youngstown, Ohio Application May 9,1933, Serial No. 670,180

17 Claims.

This invention relates to drawers for filing cabinets and the like, and more particularly to novel improvements in construction of drawers of the type having a tilting front.

One of the objects of the invention is to pro vide a novel tilting front or drawer head adapted for use in connection with drawers using a guide card locking rod, whereby the drawer front may be readily moved without removing the rod, and wherein the manipulating knob on the rod remains in a fixed position with reference to the tilting or movable front.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel compressor construction. In that connection, the invention contemplates a drawer contents compressor device carried by the tilting front and which is not only capable of firmly compressing the drawer contents when the tilting front is closed and also firmly holding the front in closed position, but which is also positively thrown to an out of the way position against the inner face of the tilting front when the latter is open.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a vertical cross sectional view of a drawer embodying the present improvements.

Figure 2 is a detail vertical section view taken on the line 2--2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3', Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective View of the compressor device.

Figures 5 and 6 are detail views illustrating a modified form of spring mounting for tensioning the tilting front and compressor.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the drawer is designated generally as A, and as usual comprises the side walls 1, rear wall 3 and bottom 4. At the front of the drawer there is provided a tilting front or drawer head designated generally as B carrying at its inner face the compressor device C. Slidably mounted within the contents receiving space of the drawer is a novel follower construction designated generally as D.

The tilting front B is hingedly mounted as indicated at 5, adjacent its lower edge so that the same may be manipulated by the handle or knob 5 6 to be moved to open or closed position. At the zone of the hinge 5 the outer wall b of the front B is provided with an opening 7 which alines with the flange 8 of the knob 9 on theguide card locking rod 10. The knob 9 whose head 10 forms a finger gripping portion, is formed at its junction with the rod 10 with the threaded portion 11 which fits into mating threads on a bracket 12 carried by the bottom of the channel 4a forming a part of the drawer bottom 4. As 15 will be observed from Figure 1, the inside face b of the tilting front B is also provided with an opening 7a to permit of clearing the upper end of the bracket 12 when the front B is tilted outwardly.

The arrangement above described permits of utilizing an all-rigid guide card locking rod which may be threaded into a permanent part of the drawer structure, while at the same time the tilting front may be moved freely to its open or 25 closed positions without interfering with the knob 9 or rod 10. When the tilting front is closed as shown in full lines in Figure 1 the opening 'I will register with the flange 8 of the knob 9 so that the flange will be flush with the outer wall D 30 of the tilting front.

Also, to prevent papers or other filing matter from entering the opening 7a on the inner wall of the tilting front when the latter is open, the bottom wall 4 of the drawer is provided with the 35 upwardly directed guard flange 13. When the front B is moved to its open position the upper edge of the opening 7a will move closer to the upper edge of the guard flange 13 and thus effectively close the space which otherwise enables 40 the inner wall D of the front to clear the upper edge of the bracket 12.

The tilting front B carries at its inner side the rearwardly projecting wings 14 whose upper edges are of arc-shaped formation and are provided at their inner extremities with the offset stop ears 15 adapted to engage with the abutments 16 carried by the side walls 1 of the drawer thereby to limit the outward tilting movement of the front 50 B. For the purpose of tensioning the movement of the tilting front, and assisting in holding it in open or closed position, the wings 14 are provided with the studs 17 which provide supports for one end of the springs 18, the opposite ends of which engage thestuds 19 on a fixed. part of the drawer side wall.

The compressor device C preferably includes in its organization a transverse presser member 20 connected by the yielding arms 21 with a carrier bar 22 whose ends 23 are disposed at an angle to provide cam arms or lever members as will be observed from Figure 4. In assembling, the compressor device on the tilting front the levers 23 of the bar 22 are first inserted in the openings 2% in the wings 14 before the latter are applied to the drawer. As the openings 24 are of substantially trianguiar formation with the base of the triangle lying at the top, it will be apparent that the entirecompressor may have a rocking movement in the wings due to the fact that the bar 22 rests in the bottom of the openings 24. As will also be observed from Figures 1 and 4, the bar 22 is provided with pendant spring members 25 which are adapted to bear against the inner wall b of the tilting front B. The said spring members 25 are intended to assist the compressor C in moving toward the wall b of the tilting front as the latter is moved open, although positive guiding means to that end may be also provided as will presently appear. v

Referring .to Figures 1 and 4 it will be apparent that the levers 23 are provided with rollers 26 which are intended to cooperate with rigid guide means carried by a side wall of the drawer. As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 the guiding means referred to preferably consists of an upper member 27 having a flange 28 of arcuate formation for the greater part of its length, while its lower portion 29 is provided with a substantially horizontal looking or keeper seat adapted to engage with the roller 26 to assist in holding the compressor and tilting front in locked position. The lower portion of the guiding means consists of a guide member 30 having a flange 31 formed on a compound curve which extends from a point beneath the seat 29 of the upper member 27 upwardly and outwardly to a terminal point 32 so that when the rollers 26 move outwardly with the tilting front to its extreme position, the flange 31 will serve to lift the roller 26 and definitely force the compressor C back against the inside wall b of the tilting front. Thus, the flange 32 will supplement the action of springs 25 when both are used.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the flanges 28 and 31 of the guide means cooperate to provide a track for guiding the rollers 26 of the compressor lever arms 23 during the opening and closing movements of the tilting front. The upper section of the flange 31 assists, as previously indicated, the springs 25 in operating the compressor outward, and, the lower half or lower section of the flange acts as a guard against the roller dropping down and catching underneath the flange, particularly if there should be any pressure from the rear of the compressor.

Assuming that the tilting front B is closed as shown in full lines in Figure 1, the rollers 26 will be engaged between the locking seats 29 and the arms 21 and connecting cross member 20 constituting the compressor will be forced inwardly to compress the drawer contents. Also, since the rollers 26 engage beneath the locking seats 29 of the flange 28, the tilting front B will be firmly held in closed position. When it is desired to open the drawer it is only necessary toexert a forward pressure or pull on the tilting front through the medium of the handle 6, whereuponlthefrollers 26 will be disengaged from the seats 29 a'ndthe rollers will begin to ride on the surface of the flanges 28. As therollers move up the arcuate flanges 28, the spring members 25 will. tend to assist the movement of the compressor 0 toward the tilting front. When the'flanges 31 engage the under sides of the rollers instead of their upper sides, as do the flanges 28, the said flanges 31 will definitely push the rollers 26 and their arms 23 upwardly and thus force the entire compressor back against the inner wall b of the front B. Since the length'of the arc of movement of the tilting front is not sufllcient to take the rollers 26 clear of the point 32 of the lower guide flanges 31, it will be apparent that the compressor structure is definitely and positively held in an out of the way position when the tilting front is open.

Upon closing the tilting front the rollers 26 will move downwardly under the upper curved flanges 28, and, will be forced to follow these flanges due to the action of the spring-members 25 until the upper sides of the rollers are engaged by the seats 29, thereby securely holding the compressor C in its contents compressing position, and also holding the front against accidental opening movement or movement due to the pressure of the drawer contents.

1 As will be apparent from Figures 1, 2 and 4 of the drawings, the arms 21 of the compressor which connect the presser member 20 with the carrier bar 22 are inherently yielding so as to, flex when engaging the drawer contents. That is to say, the upper portion of the compressor including members 20 and 21 possess inherent resiliency so as to firmly engage the contents of the drawer contained between the compressor and the space regulating follower D. This arrangement has the advantage that in the event the drawer contents are uneven at one edge or the other, the compressor will still function properly to clamp the drawer contents in position. Frequently, letters or other material flled in the drawer are held together with fasteners at one corner. The total accumulated thickness of matter filed with fasteners increases at the points where the fasteners are located while the papers lie flat and close together and present a mass of less thickness. With the type of compressor referred to, however, the drawer contents are held under yielding spring pressure due to the resilience of the upper portion of the compressor.

. With reference to the follower D it will be observed that the same includes a follower plate 33 hinged as at 34 to a carrier 35 slidably mounted in the drawer bottom, and provided at its rear side with a hingedly connected support 36. This support is guided in the opening 37.0f the carrier so that its lower end 38 may engage with the locking shoulders 39 formed in the bottom wall 4a of the drawer bottom channel.

As will be noted from Figure 1 of the drawings, the locking shoulders 39 for the greater part of the length of the drawer channel lie in the same plane. However, as the channel approaches the end of the drawer the bottom edge of the bottom wall 412 thereof is inclined upwardly which elevates the shoulders 39a above the plane of the shoulders 39, while the rear extremity of the channel 4b terminates in a flat supporting surface 40. With this arrangement, it will be apparent that as'the follower D is moved toward the rear end of the drawer, the plate 33 will tend to assume a more nearly vertical position. As previously indicated, the purpose of this construction is tostraighten up the plate 33 so that the drawer contents will not project over the upper edge of the back. wall 3 of the drawer, and likewise the said plate will not project beyond the drawer. In this way the drawer contents and the follower plate 33 are both prevented from interfering with the rear wall a: of the cabinet, and the filing contents of the space of the drawer may be utilized to a maximum degree, while at the same time the drawer can readily move to its fully closed position within the cabinet. It will also be apparent that the self-righting characteristic of the follower plate 33 contributes materially to the general compressive eifect of the compressor C. The latter tends to force the drawer contents between the back edge of the drawer, and except for the follower having the novel features referred to, the drawer contents would be thrown backwardly so as to interfere with closing the drawer to its fullest possible extent. Therefore, the follower plate 33 cooperates with the compressor device C to provide both an eificient utilization of the filing contents space of the drawer and the proper functioning of the drawer.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure l, the spring 18 is respectively connected with a side wall of the cabinet and with a wing carried by the tilting front and is so positioned to hold the tilting front in either upright or tilted position. In this type of construction the spring 18 exerts its influence directly on the tilting front or drawer head and indirectly on the compressor device C by releasing the rollers 26 from their seated positions so that the compressor C can assume an outwardly inclined position to be fiat against the inner wall of the tilted front.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, it will be observed that the compressor C including the bar 22a is mounted in the triangular slots 24a of the wings 14a and the lever or cam arms 23a are connected to one end of the compression springs 18a, while the other end of the springs are connected as at 19a to a stud mounted on a side wall of the drawer. Thus when the tilting front B is moved outward, the springs 18a will cause the rollers 26a to follow the flange 28a and also cause the compressor C to lie fiat against the inner wall of the tilted front.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention includes a compressor construction wherein the body or bar 22 thereof may be provided with rearwardly extending arms 23, and the springs 25, as shown, or if desired only a single arm and a single spring may be used, and still be within the scope of the invention. In the event that only one of the arms 23 is used, it will of course only be necessary to provide one of the guide flanges 28, that is, guiding means on both sides of the drawer will not be necessary.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:--

1. In a filing drawer, the combination of a guide card locking rod mounted in the drawer and including a knob, and a tilting front for the drawer having an opening registering with and clearing said knob, whereby the knob may remain fixed with reference to the drawer when the front is tilted.

2. In a filing drawer, the combination with a tilting front having an opening, of a guide card locking rod detachably mounted in the drawer and having a rigidly connected knob located at said opening.

3. In a filing drawer, the combination with a tilting front having an opening, of a guide card locking rod detachably mounted in a fixed part of said drawer, said rod including a knob projecting through said opening and having a portion to the rear of said knob lying within the opening of the front when the latter is closed.

4. In a filing drawer, the combination with a tilting front having an opening, of a guide card locking rod, a bracket carried by the bottom of the drawer and having means for detachably holding said rod in the drawer, and a knob on the rod having a finger gripping head and a flange, said flange adapted to lie in the opening flush with the plane of the outer face of the front when the latter is closed.

5. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a compressor device movably carried by the tilting front, and guide means carried by a side wall of the drawer for engaging and actuating said compressor toward and from the tilting front during movement of the latter.

6. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a compressor device movably carried by the tilting front, and spaced guide members constituting a track carried by a side wall of the drawer and adapted to be engaged by a portion of the compressor during movement of the front to actuate said compressor.

'7. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a compressor device movably carried by the tilting front and having a rearwardly extending lever arm, guide means formed by a pair of spaced members carried by a side wall of the drawer and adapted to be engaged by said lever arm to move the compressor forwardly and rearwardly as the tilting front moves outwardly and inwardly respectively.

8. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a compressor device carried by the tilting front and having a lever arm provided with a roller, and guide means carried by a side wall of the drawer comprising a pair of spaced. members forming a track for receiving said roller.

9. In a filing drawer having a tilting front, a compressor device movably carried by the tilting front, a lever arm for said compressor device, and spaced guide members carried by a side wall of the drawer, one of said members serving as an abutment for the lever arm when the tilting front moves inwardly to cause the compressor to move away from the inside of the tilting front and the other of said members constituting an abutment when the tilting front is moved outwardly to cause the compressor to lie against the inner side of the tilting front.

10. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a coinpressor device movably carried by said front, and means for actuating the compressor and holding the front in its closed position, said means comprising a lever carried by the compressor device and a pair of-rspaced lever guiding abutments carried by a side wall of the drawer, one of said abutments being engaged by the lever member when the tilting front is moved to a closed position with reference to the drawer to move the compressor away from the tilting front, said member also having a portion disposed at an angle to the main body thereof for holding the lever in position to maintain the tilting front closed, and the other of said abutments being adapted to be engaged by the lever as the tilting front moves outwardly to cause the compressor device to move toward the inside face of the tilting front.

11. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a compressor device movably supported by the tilting front and having a rearwardly extending lever arm, and an abutment carried by a side wall of the drawer and having guiding and locking flange portions engaged by said lever.

12. A filing drawer including, in combination, a tilting front having an opening, a guide card locking rod mounted in a fixed position in the drawer and having a portion projecting through said opening and clearing the same, whereby the tilting front may be moved independently of the guide card locking rod, and guard means on the drawer adjacent the opening in the tilting front to prevent filing material in the drawer from entering said opening when the tilting front is moved outwardly.

13. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a wing carried thereby, a compressor device movably supported by said wing and having a rearwardly extending lever arm, an abutment carried by a side wall of the drawer and having guiding and locking flange portions engaged by said lever arm, and a spring having one end connected to a fixed drawer part and the other end connected to said lever arm and tending to force the latter against said abutment.

eeann .14. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a compressor device movably supported by the tilting front and having a rearwardly extending lever arm, an abutment carried by a side wall of the drawer and adapted to be engaged by said lever arm, and a spring having one end connected to a fixed drawer part and the other end connected with said lever arm, thereby tending to force said lever arm against said abutment and also to force the compressor device toward the inside face of the tilting front when the latter is opened.

15. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a compressor movably mounted on the tilting front and including a yielding drawer contents engaging portion, and cooperating means respectively on the compressor and drawer for operating the compressor upon movement of the tilting front.

16. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a compressor movably mounted on the tilting front and including a carrier bar and a yielding drawefigg contents engaging portion, and cooperating means respectively associated with the carrier bar and the drawer for operating the compressor upon movement of the tilting front.

17. In a filing drawer, a tilting front, a yielding drawer contents compressor movably mounted on the tilting front, and cooperating means respectively on the compressor and drawer for operating the compressor upon movement of the tilting front.

FREDERICK L. G. STRAUBEL. 

